A missing plane with 10 aboard was found crashed in Alaska on Friday, a day after it left for Nome and never arrived, the Coast Guard said. There are believed to be no survivors.
The wreckage of the plane was found approximately 34 miles southeast of Nome, and three people were found dead inside, the maritime military branch said.
Seven others who were on the plane "are believed to be inside the aircraft, which was inaccessible due to the condition of the plane," the Coast Guard said.
"The Coast Guard determined the severity of the wreckage was beyond the possibility of survival," it said.
The Bering Air Cessna Caravan took off Thursday from Unalakleet, on the east coast of Norton Sound in western Alaska, and was headed to Nome around 140 miles away, officials said.
There were nine passengers and one pilot aboard.
The flight took off from Unalakleet at 2:37 p.m. Thursday, Bering Air Director of Operations David Olson told NBC affiliate KTUU of Anchorage.
Radar analysis showed that around 3:18 p.m. Thursday “this aircraft experienced some kind of event which caused them to experience a rapid loss in elevation and a rapid loss in speed,” Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin McIntyre-Coble said at a news briefing earlier Friday.
After the wreckage was found Friday, two Coast Guard swimmers were lowered by helicopter, where they found the three dead people in the forward part of the aircraft, the Coast Guard said.
The Coast Guard in a post on X expressed its “heartfelt condolences are with those affected by this tragic incident.”
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy said Friday that he and his wife, Rose, "are heartbroken by the loss of the 10 people on the Bering Air flight."
"Our prayers are with the families, friends, and communities mourning this tragedy," Dunleavy said in a statement.
The Nome Volunteer Fire Department said its search and rescue team was activating for the recovery effort, with assistance from the Alaska National Guard.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it is launching a team to investigate the crash.
Nome and Unalakleet are not serviced by the state’s highway system, leaving air and water or snowmobile and trails the main forms of transport between the two.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said Friday that "my heart is broken over the news out of Nome."
"Alaska is a big small town. When tragedy strikes, we’re never far removed from the Alaskans directly impacted. But that also means we come together as a community to grieve and heal," she said. She thanked all those who responded and braved the elements to search for the plane.
